What all to take care after a Kidney Transplant?
A kidney transplant involves replacing a patient’s damaged kidneys with healthy ones. Living donor kidney transplants have risks associated with donating your kidney. These risks include bleeding, infections, injuries, rejection of the new kidney, and problems with the new organ. There is always a risk involved in any type of major surgery. If you decide to become a living donor, make sure your doctor knows about your past medical history and medications. Also, discuss the risks with family members and friends. After surgery, you may experience some side effects. These include – Nausea or vomiting -Blood clotting issues -Fever -Pain -Infection -Swelling in the arms, legs, or abdomen -Hearing loss. You should contact your doctor immediately if any of these symptoms occur. The length of time you need to wait before receiving a new kidney varies depending on how well the donor was matched to you.
Other complications that may arise after kidney transplantation include fluid retention, hypertension, and heart failure. Fluid retention occurs when the amount of water in the body increases significantly. Hypertension occurs when the blood pressure rises above normal levels. Heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump enough blood throughout the body. People who receive organ transplants require a lot of medication. Therefore, they must take extra precautionary measures to ensure that their healthcare providers know about all of their prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. They should also make sure that their doctors know about any dietary supplements that they may be taking. Grapefruit juice can cause an interaction with certain types of medications.
As time passes, there is less likelihood of complications. However, there are certain long-term risks that may arise within the months and years following your transplant.
